Failure to Satisfy That Mortgage Can Cause A Hefty Fine-April 2000

The Pennsylvania Mortgage Satisfaction Law has a rather draconian punishment awaiting lenders that fail to mark a mortgage satisfied upon request from a borrower within 45 days of that request. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has stated that this request does not have to be in writing, but can be communicated by the borrower to the lender orally at the time the last payment is made to satisfy the mortgage. After that oral request is made, the lender has 45 days to "enter satisfaction either upon the margin of the record of such mortgage recorded in the said office or by means of a satisfaction piece, which shall forever thereafter discharge, defeat and release the same; and shall likewise bar all actions brought, or to be brought there upon."

The fine imposed on the lender for failure to file the satisfaction piece or otherwise mark the recorded mortgage satisfied within 45 days of the request "shall for every offense, forfeit and pay, unto the party or parties aggrieved, any sum not exceeding the mortgage - money. . . ." (emphasis added).

In Other Words, if the Mortgage was for $200,000, the Fine can be $200,000 Payable to the Borrower!

What do you need to do to avoid this fine?

create a centralized log and diary system in the loan/mortgage department to enter:

- the date of a request to satisfy; - whether the request was made orally or in writing; and - the date the mortgage was marked satisfied in the records at the courthouse.